Citizen Sensing Laboratory

During this laboratory and workshop, we explore the question, ‘Who Are We?’ through an investigation of human and nonhuman migrations and ways of tracing these movements. Developed along with a week-long participatory laboratory on citizen sensing at the Tate Exchange, the workshop will especially focus on the movements of the European eel, an organism that makes its migrations through the River Thames, across Europe, and to the Sargasso Sea. We will ask how events such as climate change are influencing nonhuman migrations, and we will explore ways in which eel journeys are traced across multiple environments.

In the workshop, we will engage with the Tracing and Tracing 2.0 materials developed by artist Antti Tenetz in collaboration with the Citizen Sense research group. We will also undertake a walk and exploration of the River Thames, as we connect movements and tracings of eels with local culture and trade, as well as environmental histories and futures.

Participation in this workshop is free and open to the public but booking is essential. Please bring sturdy footwear for the walk, and notify us if you have any access requirements.

The Tracing, Tracing 2.0 and Citizen Sensing participatory laboratory and workshop are developed as part of the ‘Who Are We?’ programme of events, a free 6-day cross-platform event, designed to facilitate the co-creation, co-production, and exchange of knowledges among artists, academics, activists, and diverse publics around the multiple crises of identity and belonging in Europe and the UK.

The ‘Who Are We?’ programming team comprises Counterpoints Arts, Open University, Loughborough University, and Warwick University with contributions from Goldsmiths, the Stuart Hall Foundation, Universal Design Studio, Graphic Thought Facility and with support from the Swedish Embassy London.

Citizen Sense is a European Research Council (ERC) funded project based at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is led by Jennifer Gabrys, working in collaboration with Helen Pritchard and Lara Houston. This Citizen Sense event is also held in relation to the ERC’s 10th Anniversary week-long set of events across Europe and the world.